Philadelphia's Washington Square / Bill Double.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Double, Bill.

Series:

Images of America

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Historic buildings.

Washington Square (Philadelphia, Pa.)--History--Pictorial works.

Washington Square (Philadelphia, Pa.).

Washington Square (Philadelphia, Pa.)--Social life and customs--Pictorial works.

Buildings--Washington Square (Philadelphia, Pa.)--Pictorial works.

Buildings.

Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.

Philadelphia (Pa.)--History--Pictorial works.

Philadelphia (Pa.).

Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs--Pictorial works.

Buildings--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Pictorial works.

Historic buildings--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Pictorial works.

Genre:

Pictorial works.

Illustrated works.

Physical Description:

127 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Charleston, SC : Arcadia Pub., [2009]

Summary:

Philadelphia's Washington Square, a shaded 6.6-acre plot near the nation's birthplace at Independence Hall, has been a focal point of the city's history for more than 300 years. Designated by William Penn in 1683 as an open space, the square served as a potter's field for its first 100 years. The remains of more than 2,000 indigents, soldiers, and yellow fever victims rest beneath its sod. By 1825, the graveyard was closed and the square was redesigned as a public promenade. Rude huts on its periphery gave way to fashionable middle-class homes. Washington Square became a destination for publishing and advertising, home to the likes of J. B. Lippincott, W. B. Saunders, Curtis Publishing Company, Farm Journal, and advertising giant N. W. Ayer. In the 1950s, its Society Hill neighborhood was restored, and a memorial to the unknown soldier of the American Revolution was dedicated in the square. Today the square is again attracting the affluent with condominiums in its converted publishing houses.

Bill Double, a freelance writer, is enjoying retirement by volunteering with the National Park Service and exploring the streets of Philadelphia.

The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.

Contents:

From potter's field to promenade : 1683-1830

A neighborhood takes root : 1831-1900

Publishers prevail : 1901-1932

Change and renewal : 1933-2009.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (page 127).

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Gift of the author.

ISBN:

9780738565507

0738565504

OCLC:

429027194